Page 64 of Cold Foot Revenge
Feeling more and more alone, she struggled to her feet and tried to hide how badly she was shaking as she walked past Grave.
“Bring her to room two when she’s ready. Let’s go ahead and do the surprise for her.”
Dread filled her belly, and she closed her eyes as chills rippled through her body. She didn’t want to be in a room alone with Grave. Not at all.
Okay, exit points—front door, back door down the hallway past the private rooms. The dressing room had a door to the outside, but it stayed locked.
Weapons—the coyote was completely silent, and she felt human-as-hell right now, so she couldn’t be depended on. Glass liquor bottles, that pool stick someone had set against the wall near the dressing room door. There was a box cutter under the bar top for cutting open boxes of liquor. She’d seen Nick use it a dozen times. There was a knife he also used for cutting up limes and it was laying right on top of the bar by a cutting board.
Plan—find her bag with her phone in it. That was her only way of contacting Dylan.
Her lip was bleeding. Grave had bitten it right where he’d split it last night. Never before had he laid a hand on her, but now all of a sudden he was so comfortable with causingher physical pain? He was snapping. He was changing. He was going over the edge and she was the one taking the brunt of it. And the Grit-Bron Crew was just going with it! They’d been questionable men before this but now? She was starting to see them in a different light. These weren’t quality men. They weren’t honorable.
They were trash, for so long she’d thought this was where she belonged. That she was like them. That she was a part of this Crew, but that had been a slow thing. A gradual descent into a life she wouldn’t recognize if this were five years ago. A life she would never guess at.
It had been baby steps into getting here.
Athis-is-fine, everyone-is-doing-ithere.
Amight-as-well-do-this, because-I’ve-already-done-thatthere.
It was breadcrumbs into being in dark woods she didn’t recognize, and now this was her life.
And the only thing that had changed her feelings about it was Dylan.
He’d come in and showed her the other side. Showed her it didn’t have to be like this, and now everyone here felt so different. So wrong.
Nick led her into the dressing room, and there was a girl in there. She had to be in her early twenties. She was sitting in Roxy’s normal spot at the make-up mirrors.
“Oh, hello,” she said in a friendly tone.
Roxy looked at Nick, who took a seat in a chair next to the door, and then she gave her attention back to the girl. “Hello. Are you on the morning shift?” Roxy had never seen her before.
“Hopefully!” she said in a chipper voice. “If everything goes well today. I have an interview.”
“Oh.” Roxy frowned. This girl seemed so friendly, and upbeat, and there was an aura of positivity that was filling the room. “Um, are you sure—”
“Roxy,” Nick warned.
“Shut the fuck up, Nick, you fucking traitor,” she snapped. The fury from watching him ignore her being choked out was back. “I have to control everything I say, but not in here. I’m a person!” She jammed her finger at the girl who also didn’t belong in a hell like this one. “She’s a person too.”
“I’m…I’m sorry, I don’t understand what’s happening,” the girl said softly.
Roxy knelt down in front of the girl.
“I’m going to get Grave,” Nick murmured.
“Go on then you tattle-taling fuck,” she gritted out. “My life is over either way and you know it.” She gave her attention to the girl. “You should get out of here. This place is not like you think.”
“Are you…are you Roxy?” she guessed. “Some of the guys said you’re going to overwhelm me and act a little crazy. I don’t mean to be rude. I’m not saying you’re crazy, but if you’re protecting your spot on the front stage, it’s all yours! I’m good with stage two. That’s what I’m interviewing for.”
“Why are you here, doing this? Can you find something better that won’t steal your whole life?”
“Something that pays better than this place? Lady, I’ve been dancing for two years, and everyone says the same thing—get to the Rabbit Hole. They picked me to interview here. I’ve been counting down.” There was this pitying look in the young woman’s eyes, like Roxy really was crazy.
Grave opened the door. “Roxy, get dressed.” There was that unavoidable order in his tone, and Roxy’s body shot up. She fought it, but an Alpha’s order was nearly impossible to ignore. Jerkily, she made her way to the bin of extra negligee and began to rifle through it.Stop, she urged herself silently.Fight it.Stop doing this. Her hands faltered, but they didn’t stop rifling through the translucent lace outfits, faux leather bras, chokers, and fishnets.
Grave apologized to the woman—Crystal, he called her—and explained that Roxy had issues.
